Marcelino praises Villarreal side

Villarreal boss Marcelino has praised his team for mathematically securing their spot in next season's Europa League.

Sunday's 1-0 win over Elche means that the Yellow Submarine will finish sixth in La Liga for a second successive season.

"The manner in which we competed throughout the year was extraordinary. I don't know any other team who have had as many injuries as we did in such little time," Marcelino told reporters.

"I'm extremely grateful and proud of this team because it's very difficult to achieve what we've achieved in the league, cup and Europe.

"I stand by the work of all the players. Some of them even played [against Elche] with an injury, so it adds value to what we've achieved."

As it stands, Villarreal have no more confirmed matches this season as the strike in Spain shows no signs of being resolved.